Till the End of the Line CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME
by TCMMerida
Summary: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME Forced to face a new reality, Bucky realizes that he has a few questions for Steve.


p class="MsoNormal"The punk actually did it./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Sam held the shield on his arm, his mouth hung open stupidly. Beside him sat my best friend, who now looked old enough to be my grandfather./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I can't say I didn't see it coming. The moment he had the chance to go on his date with Peggy, I knew he would. He's hardwired not to break a promise. But now seeing him as the age he is supposed to be...it's just weird. Maybe I'm jealous. Maybe I am a little ticked off./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Sam wanders over to me, his face struck with wonder. I smile at him and give an encouraging pat on the shoulder, trying to disguise the building emotions inside of me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""He wants to see you," Sam nods over in Steve's direction./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I do not waste any time. I stride over to the bench and look down at him. He looks worse from the front. His face has become speckled with sunspots, and wrinkles outline a history of jokes and the sternness of leadership./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Looks like age has finally caught up with me Buck," he smiled, patting the bench beside me./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I remained standing. "Why did you do it?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He paused, his grin weakening a little. I softened the intensity of my stare. This is Steve. This is not a mission, this is not a bully. This is my friend, or at least I think he is./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I saw her Buck. She was there when I returned the stones. Suddenly Tony's life made sense to me...I was tired of fighting," he sighed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I sat down on the edge of the bench. "Yeah, so am I."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"His eyebrows narrowed together. "I tried to save you. After I found Peggy, we started searching for you...but, it was too late."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"My spine tingled and I clenched my jaw. "What did you find."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Steve turned to face me. "I found hope. I saw what the Russians were doing to you...how awful it was. But I saw how you never stopped fighting."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I kept fighting because I thought I could be free! But they trapped me, made me an animal!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Steve exhaled slowly. "I know. You weren't Bucky when we found you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I blinked. "You found me?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Shortly after...you know...Tony's parents. But we could not get to you." Steve moved a little closer. "We did not stop trying to save you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I laughed. "Even with the time travel... I still became this," I glared at my missing limb./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You are more than that Bucky," Steve ensured. "You are still my best friend."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Really?" I scoffed, scooping a pebble from beneath the bench. "Because I thought best friends stayed with one another."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Now he looked crushed. I tossed the pebble into the lake./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We are here, aren't we?" his words were laboured with caution./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I nodded, staring at the lake./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry Buck. Really, I am."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry can't fix time."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""No, you're right." He leaned back on the bench. "But I'm still with you to the end of the line pal."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"A small smile gripped the corner of my lip. "That line is looking pretty short for you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Steve laughed. "Hey, I still have a few years left in me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm going to hold you to that." I relaxed. "Or else I don't know what I am going to do trying to handle Sam and his new toy."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Steve cocked his head. "That is a vibranium shield, not a toy."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I smirked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""But you are right, he is going to need help. You have to look out for one another."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I glanced back at Sam. He was showing the shield to Banner who was gawking at it like a child. "Yeah, I have no idea why you thought that was a good idea."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Because you are with him," he continued. "And he's going to need you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""No one needs me."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Silence lingered in the air for a few heartbeats. The lake water lapped against the edge of the shore./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Remember when you offered for me to move in, but I was too stubborn to accept help," Steve recalled./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I tapped the wooden bench with my fingers. "You were too stubborn to do anything that would make life easier for you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well, you have to be better than me. Because I need you. Sam needs you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I leaned forward. "You are asking for the impossible."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Steve nodded. "That is why I am asking you./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You are out of your mind."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, what else is new?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"We both laughed./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Okay." I paused. "I'll do it. On one condition."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""What?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You stay alive for as long as you can," I stood up. I watched as Steve rose to his feet. Age had taken its toll on him. His enhanced super soldier frame had shrunken a few inches so now he was as tall as me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'll try," he consented. "Just don't do anything stupid if I die."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I grinned and pulled him into a hug, remembering the wimpy kid who could never walk away from a fight. "How could I? You would be taking all the stupid with you."/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p 


End file.
